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This is a question i hear and or see put forward by Fundamentalist Christians all the time ... It seems to me that the question itself is something of an oxymoron. What they are really saying is ...
"what must we do to save ourselves?"
20Therefore, we are (A)ambassadors for Christ, (B)as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be (C)reconciled to God.
I don't know anyone who thinks they are saving themselves, but I do believe this is a legitimate question.
Acts 16...
25And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
The question is legitimate, but i believe that it is only the question of someone who is not understanding the power f God unto salvation which is in Christ.
For instance another form of the same question was asked of Christ ...
Mat 19:16-26
And lo, one having come near, said to him, `Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I may have life age-during?' And he said to him, `Why me dost thou call good? no one [is] good except One -- God; but if thou dost will to enter into the life, keep the commands.'
He saith to him, `What kind?' And Jesus said, `Thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness,
honour thy father and mother, and, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'
The young man saith to him, `All these did I keep from my youth; what yet do I lack?'
Jesus said to him, `If thou dost will to be perfect, go away, sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.'
And the young man, having heard the word, went away sorrowful, for he had many possessions;
and Jesus said to his disciples, `Verily I say to you, that hardly shall a rich man enter into the reign of the heavens;
and again I say to you, it is easier for a camel through the eye of a needle to go, than for a rich man to enter into the reign of God.'
And his disciples having heard, were amazed exceedingly, saying, `Who, then, is able to be saved?'
And Jesus having earnestly beheld, said to them, `With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'
Now there are a couple of interesting things about what Jesus said in answer to this man ...
First of all notice he never said believe in me, instead he said follow me ... And when we look at ...
Luk 12:10
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven.
And also ...
Jhn 12:47
And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge(Condemn - Greek - krinō) him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
Jhn 8:15
Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man.
... We see that Christ says himself that he will not judge anyone, but that the words he speaks will judge all people in the last day(John 12:48).
Now again concerning Mat 19:16-26, notice that the young man who refused to follow Christ was not condemned by Christ at all, even though Christ made a statement though that it may be impossible for men to save themselves, even as it is impossible for a camel to pass through t eye of a needle ... The disciples having heard this were amazed exceedingly, saying, `Who, then, is able to be saved?' To which Christ replied that though it is not possible for man, it is possible for God.
So even though in believing we are saved, never the less even if we are not believing, or do not follow Christ, though we be judged in the last day according to the words of Christ, it is possible that God yet save us.
The question is legitimate, but i believe that it is only the question of someone who is not understanding the power f God unto salvation which is in Christ.
For instance another form of the same question was asked of Christ ...
Mat 19:16-26
And lo, one having come near, said to him, `Good teacher, what good thing shall I do, that I............ us.
Be more accurate in representing what we say rather than the heretical strawmans you accuse us of.
20Therefore, we are (A)ambassadors for Christ, (B)as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be (C)reconciled to God.
Paul was begging sinners to do something.
"in behalf of Christ, then, we are ambassadors, as if God were calling through us, we beseech, in behalf of Christ, `Be ye reconciled to God;' "
What is Paul really saying here? He is not asking them to reconcile themselves to God, but he is speaking the desire of Christ that they be reconciled to God. That is to say, That the apostles did proclaim as ambassadors of God is the name of Christ that it is Gods desire that humanity be reconciled to himself.
And so we read ...
Rom 5:10
for if, being enemies, we have been reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved in his life.
and ...
2Cr 5:18
And the all things [are] of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and did give to us the ministration of the reconciliation,
And ...
2Cr 5:19
how that God was in Christ -- a world reconciling to Himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses; and having put in us the word(logos) of the reconciliation,
We have already been reconciled ... We cannot reconcile ourselves if we are already reconciled. The only if we are elected to have in us in this age the word of reconciliation. And that word(Logos) of reconciliation is none other than Christ in us. That is life pertaining to the ages, to know Christ and God who sent him. However, those who do not have the word in them, and are not of the election of Life pertaining to the ages, are never the less reconciled and will be saved, yet so as by fire.
This is a question i hear and or see put forward by Fundamentalist Christians all the time ... It seems to me that the question itself is something of an oxymoron. What they are really saying is ...
"what must we do to save ourselves?"
This is the crux of the deception at the heart of the gospel of works ... The truth is many Christians do not believe they are saved by Christ and his work on the cross at all, but that they save themselves. They are boasting of what they have done which has earned them salvation. They believe their works merit them salvation, and that they are in a position of judging others by their own standards of righteousness which they believe they themselves have accomplished. Whether it be that they believe their faith and choosing to "receive" salvation is a power derived from their carnal nature, before which their regeneration was not possible, or whether they go further still and say it is not only a choice made by them while they were yet degenerate but also the good works they accomplish during their lives up and until the point of their death. In fact these men and women do not have faith in the saving Grace of God, but in their own reasoning and efforts to satisfy what they believe to be the necessary bureaucracy of salvation.
Do you believe Christ is your savior? Or do you believe you are saving yourself?
You clearly don't understand the gospel....You accuse us of work righteousness much like Muslims who accuse of worshipping more than one God.
faith comes by hearing....when we tell people, what must we do to be saved, notice we don't say, what must we do to earn salvation.
"Faith comes by hearing" they don't know what to do until someone gives them the gospel, this is to help them to understand the gospel of salvation and how we are still responsible for our salvation because we are and it is scriptural "who are you o man to answer back to God", we are not giving them instructions but giving them the power of His word so they can understand and respond because God is working on them.
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